The ugly truth about skin creams, by beauty boss Liz Earle

Persuading women – and increasingly, men – into parting with hundreds of
pounds for a small pot of face cream has become a multi-million-pound
business.

Beauty boss and writer Liz Earle has hit out at the 'outrageous pricing' of some so called 'super creams', calling them a waste of money with 'extraordinary' markups

By Roya Nikkhah

9:17PM BST 26 Jul 2008

Now a leading figure in the beauty industry has attacked the "outrageous pricing" of some products, and the practice of "playing on people's insecurities" about ageing.

Liz Earle, the co-founder of Britain's biggest independent beauty brand, has dismissed many so-called "super creams" as a waste of money.

Miss Earle, 45, who has written more than 30 books on health and beauty and co-founded the Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare range, was recently appointed MBE for services to the industry.

She criticised the use of the term "anti-ageing". "We never use the term 'anti-ageing' because there is nothing wrong with growing old," she said.

"But making all these claims, and using airbrushed 12-year-olds to promote creams aimed at over-50s is a dishonest way of playing on insecurities and just makes people neurotic and obsessive about the issue."

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Among the most expensive products on the market is "The Essence" treatment, by Crème de la Mer, which costs £1,500 for three weeks' worth of serum. It claims it can reduce lines and minimise pores.

M-Lab's "anti-ageing" treatment cream, which it claims can improve the firmness, softness and elasticity of skin, costs £600 for a 200ml pot.

Dr Perricone's "Neuropeptide facial conformer", which its maker says can "dramatically improve the skin's resilience and tone to reveal a more youthful appearance", costs £445 for a 60ml bottle.

Expensive face creams have come under scrutiny, following the emergence of a series of cheaper products that appear to be equally beneficial.

Last year, Boots' No 7 Protect and Perfect Serum sold out in many of its stores after a BBC documentary presented evidence that its some of its ingredients, such as pentapeptides and antioxidants, often found in more expensive products, could repair sun-damaged skin and reduce the depth of wrinkles. The serum costs £16.75 for 30ml.

Earlier this year, Waitrose's own-brand Baby Bottom Butter, at £2.49 a pot, also sold out in many stores after women praised its softening and firming results on their own skin.

Stewart Long, the skincare scientific adviser for Boots, said: "Spending more money on skincare means that you are generally buying a formulation that uses more premium ingredients, and will use a more premium fragrance and packaging. If a basic moisturiser suits your skin and provides the benefits you need, then use that.

"Equally, spending huge sums of money on skincare does not guarantee that the performance of the product will directly reflect the price."

Newby Hands, the beauty director of Harper's Bazaar magazine, said: "I tend to think that you get what you pay for, and when it comes to luxury creams, the extra costs are not only about the ingredients, but also about the customer experience of having someone on the other side of the counter, rather than taking it off a shelf, or exquisite packaging and wrapping.

"Estée Lauder recently worked with a research team including scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard on a new product, who have since been nominated for the Nobel prize. So it is a case of choosing between award-winning science or someone telling you that lavender is nice and soothing in a cream. Women are not stupid, they know they have a choice."

High cost creams

The Essence – Crème

De La Mer

Three weeks’ worth of serum in small phials contained in a magnetised box,